How to Create a Kitchen Island on a Budget

Creative ways to add a kitchen island to your space

Kitchens are and always will be the heart of the home. So much so, that in recent times, kitchens have become the focal point of many households, as a growing number of people are spending more time at home than ever before. So the kitchen’s ability to accommodate dinner parties, extra entertainment spaces and a buzz of activity has become crucially important.

What’s at the center of all this activity? The ever-popular kitchen island. As one of the best ways to organise and create flow in your space, a kitchen island acts as a central, multipurpose hub in your kitchen. But installing a kitchen island is an expensive endeavour, or is it?

Here’s a look at how to create your own kitchen island on a shoestring budget.

Get a Kitchen Cart

Kitchen carts come in all shapes and sizes, and make for the perfect makeshift kitchen island. They are ideal when space is tight, adding working and storage space to your kitchen area. Many options are fitted with wheels for convenience and handy shelving below the worktop for extra plates, pots or pans. When you don’t need it, simply wheel it away into the corner or pantry.

Go for a Stainless Steel Table

Sure, a stainless steel table has that industrial kitchen look, but they become a lot more when used as a kitchen island. A stainless steel table is a budget-friendly option that’s both durable perfectly suited to food preparation. Many are foldable, storable and large enough to double as a dining table – steel tables a particularly practical option.

Use an old Dresser

Dig around your garage or scour your local thrift store. Chances are you’ll find a cheap dresser perfectly capable of stepping into kitchen island duty. From there, all you need is a little imagination, a fresh coat of paint and some new hardware to make it the perfect DIY kitchen island. Style it up, add a new worktop, and create something truly unique and practical.

Make a Cabinet on Wheels

Fixed cabinetry is the ultimate space killer – especially when it comes to kitchen islands. Why not circumvent this issue by installing wheels to the bottom of a cabinet section? Your fully functional kitchen piece is suddenly mobile – free to move to the middle of your space when guests arrive, or into the corner and out of the way when you don’t need it.

Use your Dinner Table

Why not? If space is at a premium, simply place your dinner table in the middle of your kitchen space and use it as an extra worktop. This will also allow your guests to have a seat and join the cooking process. This ‘dinner table in the kitchen’ layout is often seen in typical American style and Mediterranean kitchens – and works wonderfully well when as a space-saver.